Happy Father's Day
by Knight Mistress
Summary: It's Father's Day in Emelan, and Briar is trying to get Rosethorn to say a memory about her father, while the rest of the Circle tell theirs. Dedicated to my dad.


**Yes, I know this is early for Father's Day. I made it for my dad as a present. Enjoy!**

Briar sauntered into the room where Lark, Rosethorn and the girls were eating breakfast.

"Morning." He called out.

"Why are you so cheerful this morning?" Tris grumbled as she stared into her porridge.

"Today's a holiday." He smiled and took his seat next to Rosethorn.

"What, national street-rat day?" Sandry asked with sarcasm.

"Girls, let Briar speak. What's the holiday?" Lark asked quietly.

"Father's Day."

Rosethorn sputtered. "Father's Day? Boy, can't you think of anything _important_ to celebrate?"

"It is _important_, Rosethorn." He protested. "We have to celebrate our father's sometime or another."

She snorted. "It's not like any of us is going to celebrate, is it?"

"I'm going to."

"Why?" Rosethorn asked.

"Because our father's were the ones who gave us half our life because they-"

"All right, boy, I get it. So let's say I decide to celebrate Father's Day. Now what?"

Briar clapped gleefully. "I knew you would agree."

Tris grumbled again. "He's way too happy." The other girls nodded, agreeing.

"So, Briar, now what?" Lark asked.

"I think we should share our favorite memories that we had with our fathers."

"Like I can remember." Rosethorn grumbled but doubtfully agreed. "You first, boy."

"All right. I remember it like it was yesterday. . ."

_Briar skidded down the hallway, trying to run away from the person who was chasing him. "You can leave me alone, now!" He called, but no reply, just the sound of boots pounding on tile. I shouldn't have stolen that. Briar thought regretfully as he turned a speedy corner and bumped into a man. "Sorry, sir, I didn't mean too-" He said, trying to get around the man who was standing in front of him._

"I can see where this is going." Tris mumbled and Briar shot her a look.

_The man chuckled. "Who is chasin' you, youngster?" He asked kindly, get on his knees to become eye level with Briar. "Some shopkeeper-" The shopkeeper came to the edge of the hallway. "This little street-rat stole some of my food!" He hollered._

_The man next to Briar got up and reached into his belt purse, pulling out a silver noble. "Will this pay for it?" The shopkeeper nodded and then the man flipped it to him. Briar dug into the food he had stolen greedily. _

_The man put his hand on Briar's shoulder. "Roach, I just think you would like to know that I know you better then you think." The man smiled and gave Briar a quick pat on the shoulder and left, leaving a surprised Briar in his wake._

"The end." Briar said satisfied.

"So that was your father?" Daja asked, trying to make sure she had all the details down. Briar nodded.

"But you can never be sure." Tris pointed out.

"Well, it seems to me that it was, Coppercurls. Rosethorn, how about you go next?"

"I forfeit." Rosethorn said grumpily.

"Come on, Rosethorn!"

"I vote Lark should go next."

Lark sighed. "Very well."

_Young Lark stood on the floor of her father's barn. Looking up, she managed to see a kitten trapped on the rafters. Who in the right mind would climb up there? She thought, but knew that it would be better for her to rescue it. _

_Climbing up the latter, Lark tried to reach the kitten, but the latter just wouldn't go high enough. "Kitten!" She called. "Come here, I can't climb up that high to get you!" The kitten mewed, but didn't move._

_"I guess I'll have to reach you someway." She said softly and tried to grab onto the rafter. She was short of it just by a few inches. She tried to jump on the edge of the latter, and this time, Lark managed to reach the rafters with one hand._

_Hanging there, Lark tried to pull her other hand onto the rafter with the first one and after a few swings, was able to do it. The splintered wood creaked and Lark knew she was in trouble. These rafters were not made for people. "Come here, kitten." She tried again, but it wouldn't work._

_"Dear?" Someone called from the floor. Lark looked down. "Daddy! I was just trying to rescue-" Her father laughed. "Can you get down?"_

_"No." Lark said meekly. Her father started to climb the latter, and grabbed her around the waist. "I've got you. I've got you." He murmured as he climbed back down the latter, setting her on the ground. "What about the kitten?" _

_"I'll get it." He said and started to climb up the latter again. This time, he reached higher until he was able to reach the kitten's tail. The kitten mewed and jumped, onto her father's shoulder's. He tried to steady it in his hands, but it would not budge. He sighed and came down. On the barn floor, he handed the kitten to Lark. "Now you take care of it, sweetie." He said and gave her a big hug._

"Lark, that was sweet." Sandry told her and Lark smiled.

"Almost too sweet." Briar mumbled under his breath. "How about you, Rose-"

"Nope. Sandry, your turn."

"All right."

_Sandry walked down the hallway of her father's house. "Daddy!" She squealed. "Where are you?" Peeking behind every curtain, Sandry tried to find trace of her father. They were playing hide-and-go-seek. Tables were checked, and so were closets. Where can he be? She wondered as she stumbled into the kitchen._

_On the counter was a tart, a berry tart, Sandry's favorite. She looked at it with greedy eyes. Sandry knew she shouldn't go stealing in the kitchen, but what harm would one little tart be? Greedily, Sandry reached for it and a figure jumped out behind the table. _

_Startled, Sandry retreated back, until she realized it was her father. "Looks like I found you, Sandry." He said with a smile as he handed her the tart. "But I wasn't hiding!" She protested, her mouth full of the sweet. _

_Her father laughed. "We were playing hide-and-go-seek, weren't we?" Sandry nodded. "This time, I changed it."_

_"Daddy, don't change the rules!" She tried to sound angry, but started to laugh._

_Her father hugged her. "But it was fun, wasn't it?"_

"That was too sweet too." Briar muttered. Sandry shot him a look.

"You wanted our favorite memories. I wouldn't like to remember the time my father _died_."

"It would be more interesting." Briar grumbled. "So, Rosethorn-"

"Your turn Daja." Rosethorn interrupted.

Daja laughed. "Okay."

_There had been sightings of a yerui, _("Tris, that would be a trader devil, who feeds on humans) _near our campsite. My father had just laughed. "Daja," He said. "It's nothing but a legend. Don't worry about it." She smiled, believing her father. If he thought it was nothing, then it wasn't. Fathers were always right. _

_One night, Daja had watch for the yerui. Believing her father, she thought she had nothing to worry about, or so she thought. Daja had been hearing some noises all night, and she wasn't sure if it was an animal or the devil-ghost. So she decided to ask her father. _

_"Father, I keep hearing noises." She said nervously and quietly. He smiled and stroked her hair. "Don't worry, Daja. I'll take over your watch." She shook her head. "I have to do it." _

_"Daja, if it scares you, you can sleep." _

_"I'll come out with you." _

_Her father chuckled. "Bravery is a good quality. Come here, let's go out." They both walked outside and stood at the edge of the camp. Noises were still heard, but this time, they weren't as scary. Her father told her it was just the wind, or a small animal in the woods, like a mouse. _

_Daja knew she had fallen asleep sometime during the night. She could feel her father's arms around her as he settled her into bed. "Goodnight, Daja." He breathed and walked back outside to take over her watch._

"Scary enough for you?" Daja asked Briar with a raised eyebrow.

"So, was the yerui real?" Briar asked eagerly.

"Nope. Just like my father had said, it wasn't."

Briar sighed. "Every single story has to be a fake."

Tris looked at him. "You wanted to hear our memories, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I didn't think that they would be this _boring_."

Tris said, "Fine. Then I'll go."

_Tris stood outside, in the middle of the storm. At a young age, she still liked the weather, although she didn't know that she was in fact a weather witch. "Trisana!" Her mother called. "Get in here. You're going to get all wet."_

_Tris shook her head. "Mama, this is nice out here." Her father came to the door. "Let her stay, Marielle. A little storm can't hurt her." Her mother sighed. "Perhaps your right. Come in five minutes!" Tris yelped with glee and sat, right in the mud._

_Five minutes later, it seemed that Tris had fallen asleep in the mud. The storm had calmed her to sleep. Her father had come to check up on her. "Tris, before you were born, I never thought it would be possible to fall asleep in the mud." He said with a chuckle as he bent over to pick her up. With the sleeping Tris in her arms, he walked inside. _

"Short, but I like it." Sandry added and Daja nodded.

"Coppercurls, if I didn't know you better, I would think there was insanity running in your family." Briar said. "I mean, who falls asleep in a storm?"

Tris just glared at him.

Briar turned on Rosethorn. "Ha! Now you have to go!"

"Boy, I think it was a mistake that you were brought here."

"Very funny Rosethorn. Just go."

"All right, but this is not getting any of the weeding done." She said with a look at Briar.

"Fine! I promise to do extra weeding if you share your story!"

"Fine."

_Young Rosethorn walked down the long row of crops to be weeded and taken care of. "There's so many!" She said with awe and then realized that she must get to work. Her brother had placed her outside while their father was away, saying that she should do her share of the work too._

_"If my brother can do it, I can too." She said confidently, but the harsh environment of the crop field was too much for a young girl, even if she did have plant magic. Soon, after a few minutes of harsh work, Rosethorn had to rest. She found a shady tree and sat down. I only did a few minutes! She complained in her head and tried to get back up. She didn't last very long, however, and managed only a few more minutes in the hot sun._

_After a while of sitting there and trying to get up, but not wanting too, her father came to her. "Daddy! Your back!" She exclaimed. "Niva!" He swept her up in a big hug. _

_"What are you doing home so early?" She asked. "I had to come home and see how you were doing." He scanned the crops. "What are you doing?"_

_"I was told to start fixing the crops." Her father shook his head. "Niva, this job is too big for you."_

_"I can manage." Rosethorn said bluntly as her father picked her up. "No, you can't. Go sit inside and wait for me. I'll work on it."_

_"Okay Daddy. I'll help you next time."_

_"All right, Niva."_

Briar snickered. "You called him 'daddy'?" That earned him a swing in the ear.

"You wanted to hear my story."

"You didn't have to _hit_ me." Briar complained, rubbing the sore spot on his ear.

The door burst open and Niko walked in. "What did I miss?" He asked.

The girls and Briar looked at him and nodded. They all rushed from their chairs and swept Niko up in a big hug.

"Happy Father's Day." Daja murmured as Niko looked at Rosethorn and Lark.

"What provoked this?"

"Well, you are technically their adoptive father." Rosethorn said smugly. "Happy Father's Day, Niko."

**A/N: So that's it! I made this for my father for Father's Day. (Yes, I know it's about a month away, but I started earlier.) He read the Circle of Magic books and I decided that this would be a nice gift. Happy Father's Day!**


End file.
